Hot-water and steam heat economizer for furnaces



Jam 3T, 1928. 1,657,771

L. D. SUMMERS HOT WATER AND STEAM HEAT ECONONIZERTOR FURNACES Filed May13, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l MUM-8W5 INVENTOR.

z BY

II ATTORNEYS.

I Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,771

L. D. SUMMERS HOT WATER AND STEAM HEAT ECONOMIZER FOR FURNAOES I FiledMay 13, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HGZZ MIWAJ'ESZ' I INVENTOR.

X BY 2. M

KER SI;

L. D. SUMMERS HOT WATER AND STEAM HEAT ECONOMIZER FOR FURNACES Filed May13, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSESx- I6" 6 mars-M012. K BY 2 a Z M %0%Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

Louis. 1;. SUMM.ERS, 0.x". sgmaermnn ILLINOIS, sslenos m We A D PMMEEorv SPIELIINGEIELD, ILL N S. QN ISTIN .1T F ED l EBAN WIIa IAM IRQNZ AnnLouis D. snlamnns.

nor-warn Ann STEAM inner nconoiurznn non t m ns;

Application filed. ma 13,

My invention relates to a class of heat economizers adapted to beoperated on the counterflow principle and be operatively connected witha furnace particularly of the hot Wat-eror steam type; an object beingin this device particularly to secure by" mea ns of itsnovelconstruction and operative relation to a furnace to which it isadapted to be connected; a' maximum of benefit from the heated productsof combustion normally passing out of the furnace flue as Wasted heat. i

A further object of this invention is to provide additional heatingsurface as Well as to provide an economizer for operative connectionwith a furnace that will temporarily retain the products of combustionema nating from the furnace ithin a chamber for their accommodationthrough which a series of hot Water pipes extend in accommodatin thepassage of cooler Water from a lower water chamber to an upper hotwater, or steam chamber as it becomes quickly heated in passingthroughthe pipes.

here low'pressure steam heat is desired a suitable Water level may be,of course, maintained thus providing in the upper head of the economizera super-heating steam chamber.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hot Water and steamheat econominer for furnaces to be used preferably with oil or gasburning furnaces and. the like and such as Willbe adapted to takeadvantage of the control of the inoven'ient of the products ofcombustion normally passingout of a furnace flue as wasted heat; and inthis economizerl have for a further objectto so control the movement ofgases emanating from a furnace as to makeit possible to most effectivelytransfer the greatest possible percentage of heat of the gases to thecirculating Waterpassing.through the water heads'and tubes of theeconomizer during the process of heat transfer while the products ofcombustion are still at their highest temperature; While in the meantimeI provide in a heating operation means for prolongingthe time [duringwhich the hot gases will continue tofheat the ater circulating throughthe hot water tubes. extending through the gas chamber.

My invention embodies a design and construction of hot ivater and steamheat econo- 1927. Serial No. 191,056.

mixers that is adapted tobe made of metallic parts such as sheetiron andthe like to-' gether with such other details of construe tlon andarrangement as will combine the merits of strength andrelatio'n of partsfor i this. purpose.

The intended novel features of construction and design of my device willbe hereinafter more fully described in'the annexed specifications,recited in the claims, and

illustrated inythe accompanying drawings 1n which like referencenumeralsindicate like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the figures:

1. isa side elevation of the hot water and steam heat economlzer ofmyinvention illustrating the manner invvhich the same is'connected Withahot Water. and stealn furnace and in this figure both the hot waterconnections and cold Water connections as Well as the connections forthe hot products of combustion are disclosed.

Fig. 2. 1s a side elevation of the. heat economizer of my inventionshown detached from the furnace with which it is normally connected. 1Fig. 3.

disclosing, by a cut-away, the details of the economizers construction.I

Figl 5..'i,s a vertical section lM-rM Fig. 2. of the economizer. i I iFig. 6. 'is a horizontal cross section N,N Fig. 2. exposingtovienrapossible arrangement of the hot, Water tubes. in their spacerelation. p v 1 y r I The preferred embodiment of my: invention: and themethod of securing the desired results. therewith will now be pointed;out as referenceslare made to the several nnmerals in the respectivefigures'illustrating the device of my invention. v i 1 1 Among othersuccessful arrangements by which intended resultsmayibe secured with thehot water. and steam heat economizer of 'my inventionis an arrangementillustrated is a side elevation of the heat BCOIlOlTllZGIjOIl. myinvention shown with the nected with a hot water furnace -2 by both hotwater and hot gas connections.

A particular merit of my invention may be observed in the fact that fluepipe 3 of hot water and steam furnace 2- connects directly with theupper area of the gas chamber of the economizer 1- to which it carriesthe heated products of combustion from hot water and steam furnace 2where the hot gases come into gas chamber -1()- (see Fig. 4) throughline pipe ,3-- coming into forceful contact with hotwater pipes l1 wherethe hot gases thus strike hot water pipes 1lat a point near the top ofthe pipes just before the hot water within the pipes would rise intoupper hotwater chamber 12- just before the water leaves the upperchamber through pipe -6 to join with the hot water in pipe 7 (see Fig.l) before circulating out over the hot water heating system.

In this manner itwill be seen that the hot gases reaching chamber 10from the hot water furnace 2 through flue pipe -3 reach this chamberwhen said gases are approximately at their highest temperature justwhere the hottest application may be most eli'ectively applied to theheating water rising in the pipes just before the water or steamtherefrom is ready to be distributed throughout the heating system.

Every hot water system has a cold water return in the circulating systemadapted to return the water after it is cooled to the lower portion ofthe boiler. This return pipe is not shown in Fig. l but a cold waterpipe connects the lower area of the boiler in furnace 2 with lower waterchamber -13 through which the cold water entering the economizer throughdrum 9 forming chamber 13- rises through hot water tubes 11-. with anaccelerating velocity until it reaches upper chamber 12 from which it isdistributed through pipe --7 of the hot water furnace.

To those skilled in the art to which this economizer pertains it will beobserved that this novel and eflicient as well as speedy method ofheating and distributing water or steam in this manner is accomplishedin the following way: lVhen the gases from flue pipe -3 forcibly enterchamber accommodating the heated products of combustion they enter theupper area thereof and can only move in one direction upon entering thischamber'and that is downward; and move downward through heatstratification; and by actual test it has been shown that while thesegases are settling downward in the gas chamber they gradually give up agreat percentage of their heat before passing out of pipe 4- to thechimney.

It will therefore be seen that while the gases through this process aregradually settling to a lower level in the economizer and giving uptheir heat as they settle and also settling because they are giving uptheir heat and getting cooler, that the water in the meantime enteringin bottom chamber -l3- gets its first application of heat as it reachesthe level of the bottom of the gas chamber of the economizer where thegases are at their lowest temlierature; and then as the water rises inthe tubes to the level of the hotter gases it reaches the hottest pointat the top entering the hot water dome --l2 before leaving theeconomizer as hot water or steam.

Attention is called to Fig. 3 which exposes to view the upper and lowerwater chambers and their connecting water tubes. This is shown by theremoval of jacket 1 which when secured into operative position forms thegas chamber about pipes 11-. This jacket is detachably secured intoplace normally by bolts 15.

in a careful study of the details of structure of my economizer thosewho are skilled in the heating art will observe a novel arrangement ofdetails of construction of my econiniizer which make it possible tosecure therewith new and novel results.

in this connection attention is directed to the manner in which jacket-lis adapted to be detachably secured about the periphery of the upperand lower heads 8 and 9 of the economizer thus to provide an expansibledetachable closure member forming a gas chamber for the econonnzer.

'lo heating engineers it will be evident that when the hot products ofcombustion emanating from the furnace are admitttcd into the gas chamber10 of the economixer that these gases commonly range from two or threehundred degrees to a thousand or more degrees of temperature while atthe same time the tubes and water chambers would not carry such a hightemperature when they containwater or steam perhaps up to 250 and thedifferential in temperature obtaining within the economizer would causea decided ex iiansion of jacket -1- under such conditions when thisjacket forms the gas chamber since this jacket does not come in contactwith the water within the economizcr.

It is therefore evident that when this outside jacket does expandlengthwise or otherwise that if this jacket was riveted or bolted to theheads --8 and 9 and then expended when forming the gas chamber with suchhigh gas temperatures that the strain of the expanding jacket wouldcause the tubes -11- to pull out of the upper or lower heads to whichthey are attached; but in my economizer I detachably secure jacket -labout the upper and lower heads -8- and -9- in such a way as will permitthe [Ill lul

details is illustrated in the drawings forming a part of thisspecification.

-llaving thus described the nature of my invention what I claim as newand useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hot water and steam heat economizer adapted to be spaced from andoperatively connected with an oil or gas burning hot,

water or steam furnace, comprising an upper and a lower water headconnected by a plurality of communicating upright water tubes; saidheads having a horizontal diameter in excess of the diameter of thehoriaontal cross sectional plane enclosing the tubes; a detachablemetallic jacket engaging and encompassing said upper and lower heads ofthe economizer forming a gas chamher for the economizer and adapted toslidably move when expanding longitudinally upon the outer walls of saidheads; said gas chamber provided with an upper wall opening in theexpanding jacket adapted to be connnunicatively connected with the fluegases from a furnace and said chamber further provided with a lower wallopening in the outlet flue; said lower Water head adapted to becommunicatively connected with the cold water level of a hot water andsteam heat furnace and said upper water or steam head adapted to becommunicatively connected with the hot water or steam level of a hotwater and steam heating furnace.

2. A hot water and steam heat economizer of the character describedadapted to be 019- eratively connected with an oil or gas burning hotwater and steam heatingfurnace comprising in combination a lower coldwater head having a bottom opening adapted to admit cold water from aboiler; a.

spaced upper hot water and steam head having a central opening todischarge hot water and steam and adapted to be communicativelyconnected with a hot water and steam lead pipe from a "l'urnace; saldheads of the econoniizer communicatively connected by a plurality ofupright spaced water tubes; an

upright metallic detachable casing encom-' passing and loosely engagingsaid upper and lower heads forming a gas chamber between saidheads;'said casing adapted to slidably move on said heads when expandedby heat and provided with an upper inlet wall opening for hot productsof combustion adapted to be operatively connected with a "furnace flue;said 'asing further provided with a lower outlet wall opening adapted toestablish outlet communication with a house flue for said gases aftergiving up a portion of their heat to said water tubes within said gaschamber.

In Witness whereof, I hereby set my hand this 9th day of May 1927 A. ,D.

